'What about Your Kids and Your Husband?': Gender-Blind Sexism in Women Higher Education Administrators' Narratives

International Council of Professors of Educational Leadership. Web site: https://www.icpel.org/

Y

16

Women Administrators; Gender Bias; Higher Education; Educational Administration; Administrator Attitudes; Feminism; Leadership Styles; Gender Issues; Family Work Relationship; Females; Cultural Influences; Sex Stereotypes

1532-0723

Women leaders report facing many systemic inequalities such as unequal family responsibilities, differing and unfair expectations of them as leaders, backbiting from colleagues and subordinates, and a lack of support and encouragement. This qualitative research study's conceptual framework hinges on feminist narrative analysis research, focusing on women administrators' perceptions of gender's influences on their work experiences. Patterns in participants' narratives reveal genderblind sexism, which is sexism that renders itself invisible or uneasily detectable, and a pattern of resistance to this and other oppressive experiences by developing overall transformative and feminist leadership styles. The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand genderblind scripts revealed in participants' stories about the intersections of gender and their work lives. Through sharing and analyzing participants' narratives, this researcher derived recommendations for equitable policies and practices in higher education settings.

As Provided

2021

EJ1279786